My mountain adventures in words and pictures

Devil’s Peak via Mowbray Ridge/Knife’s Edge & Minor Peak

Every day, when I walk to the station from work, I look up at Devil’s Peak and tell myself that I have to make a plan go up there again. The only thing is that the normal route up Devil’s Peak is soooo overdone.

When I found out that HPAC will be doing this hike and it’s my last available Sunday to do a hard hike before the month of Ramadaan, I had to do it! Even confirmed with Shaheen if she will be hiking…she however didn’t tell me that she wasn’t doing this route lol

Anyway, with the club hiking Arangieskop this weekend, only Rashaad and I pitched for the hike. While waiting on him, I got to drink some coffee and take pre-dawn pics. He was delayed by the UCT 10km race.

Check-in with tracking at 7:30am with an ETA of 13:30 and off we go. Rashaad hates the term ‘leader’ so will rather say he was my pace-setter haha. And Geez was a he a pace-setter alright! No breaks at the usual forks and we chat away.

He greets someone he knew and we finally take a break at the Canon BUT that was for him to check his phone as Neil was to join us after the UCT 10k. I finally got to take some photos 😛

Up we go and see an empty booze bottle which I would pick up on our way down. Up the scrambles we go and we are both over-dressed. The weather app stated 14°C with cloudy conditions. There isn’t even a breeze and I’m wet with sweat. And I could smell myself! Ewwww!

When we got to the Old Fire Lookout, we got to delayer and Rashaad had a good laugh when I rubbed some moisturiser under my arms and said that we are hiking, we are supposed to be sweaty and smelly. Well, I’m not about to smell myself for the duration of the hike!

Break over and onwards and upwards we go and take pics at the view points and the couple of hundred metre sheer drop across Knife’s Edge. Also showed Rashaad where I froze in fear, nearly in tears when I still had a phobia for heights.

Up and down Minor Peak and pass a group of hikers. Over the saddle with more pics and even more pics at the start of the Devil’s Peak path. I look out for that group but they seemed to have gone back down the way they came. Rashaad called them amateurs haha! I don’t see them descending though but eventually see them looking for the path down. Up we scramble and now we traverse and Rashaad is still too fast for me to take photos!

By now, my tummy is screaming for food! I’m weakening and every scramble is an effort! As it wasn’t even 10am yet, Rashaad decided to try out new scrambles lol. At one section, a rock had fallen down and definitely not taking that way up!

And just like that! We are at the peak! At 9:50am! And there is no-one else about! Isn’t Devil’s Peak as popular as it once was?! People fearing rain? Getting too cold? Another group did arrive shortly after us and one of them offered to take photos of us J with my external battery haha. Thank you stranger. It’s also quite cold at the peak so on with my top. The sweater I took off at the Lookout is still wet with sweat x_x

I take several photos of the cloud theatre around us whilst having breakfast. Misty then clearing then misty again. Rashaad only had a sip of my black, no sugar coffee lol and I over-catered koesiesters for this hike. Told Rashaad to take the rest home for the fam. The group that we assumed made their way down Minor Peak comes up! They were looking for a Geocache ^_^

After 30min we make our way down and explore a bit before joining up on the normal path again. Now I could take more photos as I could easily catch up with him on our descent haha! Traverse all the way round still chatting about this and that and chat a bit with a passing group. Now I’m getting hot again but decide to sweat it out rather.

Eventually back at the Old Fire Lookout and Rashaad attempts to open the door and I go around the front. The door is bolted shut from the inside. Despite being there several times, I think it’s the first time that I actually go check it out.

Down the scramble and I ignore Nature Calling. Terrible timing! Down some more and desperately try to ignore The Call as the area is pretty exposed T_T Finally! Answered the call. Sigh

Back at Block-house and pick up some empty booze and juice bottles and carried it in my arms. If I were to put it in a packet, I would pick up much more and delay Rashaad and he would not like that hehe. I regretfully ignored the rest but did ask Rashaad to pick up one that was clearly visible.

Down the last stretch, couple of meters from the end! I slip and drop one of the bottles. In slow motion I watch this bottle fall and crash to the ground! Broken! T_T I’m sorry! Rashaad then clears shards from the path as dogs might hurt themselves!

Done at 12:15pm and check out of tracking! Was a ‘quick’ but fun hike J Thanks Rashaad for the entertaining chatter and endorphins from your ‘comfortable’ pace J

Until my next mountain adventure, ciao for now and thank you for reading.

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